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Wisdom teeth

polycounter lvl 11
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MainManiac polycounter lvl 11
It costs $3k to get them out, 40% payed by us. You guys who kept them, anything happen?

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  • repete
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    repete polycounter lvl 6
    It costs $3k to get them out, 40% payed by us

    Get them removed when you start having problems :thumbup:
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 18
    Had them out when I was 25 or 26, they were causing pain and one of the impacted ones had a big cavity in it. My employer's dental insurance covered it all and I'm not really that perturbed by surgery so I went and did it.
  • EricHall
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    EricHall polycounter lvl 6
    I had the same feelings toward getting mine out. My dad still has his, so I figured I'd just keep mine too. I had a few instances where some bacteria had gotten back there but using salt water or hydrogen peroxide would take care of it.

    Then I had a pretty serious infection with one, it had barely erupted, but I guess bacteria found its way in there, created a cavity and I couldn't open my mouth all the way and ended up being told it had to come out. I figured I'd just get them all out at once while I'm under. Didn't cost me 3k, insurance covered just about all of it fortunately.

    I'd probably get them out if I were you. Not having that thought in the back of your head of "what if" is a good feeling. Recovery wasn't too bad either.
  • MainManiac
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    MainManiac polycounter lvl 11
    Had them out when I was 25 or 26, they were causing pain and one of the impacted ones had a big cavity in it. My employer's dental insurance covered it all and I'm not really that perturbed by surgery so I went and did it.
    Got all of them removed for pain in one?
  • MagicSugar
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    MagicSugar polycounter lvl 10
    frell wrote: »
    So did you get yours out? And if not (and impacted) have you had any problems?

    No.

    Problems. Well my dentist keeps bugging me about them every visit. And sometimes when you don't floss enough (hey, too busy or working :poly122:) certain stuck foods can cause soreness.

    My unscientific opinion why Docs want them out, is so they don't have to work too hard digging out stuff in the back of your mouith per cleanup appointment. I don't mind my dentist picking my gums in those areas. They're healthy.

    Best approach? Just get em out if you have the opportunity (cash or company benefit). Effects of sleeping gas look cool in movies :poly136:
  • iconoplast
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    iconoplast polycounter lvl 13
    I still have mine. 3 are positioned such that if they did start moving, they'd grow straight toward the front of my face -- I believe that qualifies as impacted. =) The dentists I've seen have always agreed that if one is not suffering any ill effects from them, they stay put. (I'm now 33 and they've never moved that I know of.) The only other reason I'd consider getting them out is if I knew I was about to lose dental coverage and there was a reason to think that they would be causing problems soon. I've also had other oral surgery (I had some baby teeth that refused to come out any other way and the adult teeth grew in behind them) and I wouldn't do it again unless I had to.

    I'd say you can keep your tinfoil hat for this one. This surgeon may genuinely believe that it's best that they come out, but a tradition of surgery isn't necessarily the same as a need for surgery.
  • PixelMasher
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    PixelMasher veteran polycounter
    got mine out when i was 18 under my dads benefits. the thing is while you are young, your bones are abit more elastic and if you get it done when you are older, there is a good chance they will break your jawbone. its also close to an artery so if it breaks wrong it can pierce it.

    I was put under for the surgury and woke up groggy and disoreitned/high as fuck. interesting expereience, ended up craving pumpkin pie hahaha.
  • Noors
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    Noors greentooth
    I guess you had xrays, so the doc (and you) can see if it may cause problem or not. There's no need to remove teeth that don't do anything, but if they push your other teeth, or pierce the gingiva, you'll probably have to remove them.
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 18
    frell wrote: »
    Got all of them removed for pain in one?

    they were all impacted and causing soreness. I've had outpatient surgery before so it didn't worry me.

    I recall the doc had to really work at the one of the teeth and when it popped out I joke "well, that was easy!" and his response was "easy!? I'm the one doing all of the work!"
  • MainManiac
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    MainManiac polycounter lvl 11
    Noors wrote: »
    I guess you had xrays, so the doc (and you) can see if it may cause problem or not. There's no need to remove teeth that don't do anything, but if they push your other teeth, or pierce the gingiva, you'll probably have to remove them.

    They are tilted for but not that much, they're barely touching the tooth in front. But my top ones aren't tilted at all and are very high up, why take those out?

    Obviously if they were like this: http://www.exodontia.info/sitebuilder/images/Mesially_impacted_LL8_eliciting_decay_in_LL72-735x495.jpg I'd get them out asap
  • moose
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    moose polycount sponsor
    I had mine out 6 years ago or so. My dentist had suggested we keep them, because they had already caused problems with the back molars (cracking), and wanted to keep them around as new good teeth. Turned out shit started hurting, and my mouth was very cramped so I got them out. Had less stress and pain in mouth, and prevented other teeth from being fractured as bad by the pressure. It was something I ended up paying for (figuratively and literally) later when those little fractures on my teeth grew into larger fractures requiring other oral surgery.

    I opted to be gassed while having them removed (not asleep). I vividly remember being high as a kite, and thinking my oral surgeon was Jason Statham, and he was punching the teeth out of my mouth. There wasn't any pain, a little jarring because you can feel your head moving and hear the sounds, but for some reason that was all I could think about.

    Everyone is different (I only had 2 on the top), and you should definitely get multiple opinions about it, and study xrays. A lot of dentists will just automatically jump to what they know - "YES GET THEM OUT!" while others may be more objective about it. Honestly, if they're growing in straight, and aren't causing pain, there isn't a reason to - however you could run into problems since they are soooo far back in your mouth if you aren't diligent about brushing and flossing.
  • Torch
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    Torch interpolator
    Had mine out a few years back as well. Just make sure you take a few days off as your face can swell from the tooth removal - your face ends up looking like Agent Smith's from the Matrix when he morphs.
  • RyanB
    frell wrote: »
    So did you get yours out? And if not (and impacted) have you had any problems?

    I had mine taken out when I was in high school because they were impacted. They used a saw to cut each tooth into quarters and then sucked the pieces out with a vacuum. I woke up with a mouth full of coagulated blood. The general anaesthetic made me stay in bed for almost three days afterwards. The first day home I felt like the room was constantly rotating and I had to hold onto the walls to move around.

    I developed a "clicking" noise on both sides of my jaw shortly after. I would hear it often when I ate. About a year after that I was feeling a bit of pain on one side and was moving my jaw from side to side when I felt a sudden, sharper pain and an explosion of high-pitched ringing in my ear. After a few minutes, pain gone and no more clicking on that side. The other side still clicks a bit but I have to move my jaw sideways to hear it clearly.
  • Ruz
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    Ruz polycount lvl 666
    had both of my mine done a few years back, wasn't too bad at all.
    the second one hurt a bit , but the dentist was a bit rubbish that time
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 18
    RyanB wrote: »
    I developed a "clicking" noise on both sides of my jaw shortly after. I would hear it often when I ate. About a year after that I was feeling a bit of pain on one side and was moving my jaw from side to side when I felt a sudden, sharper pain and an explosion of high-pitched ringing in my ear. After a few minutes, pain gone and no more clicking on that side. The other side still clicks a bit but I have to move my jaw sideways to hear it clearly.

    You never got that checked out!?
  • LRoy
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    LRoy polycounter lvl 10
    Wow 3k? I think I paid $80 for mine and I don't even have insurance. It wasn't really that big a deal, I went to work with a mouthful of gauze the next day.
  • WarrenM
    This thread is making me very happy mine came in straight and that my mouth is apparently huge. The dentist saw them come in and was like, "Eh, they look fine. Let me know if they ever start hurting..."
  • WarrenM
    LRoy wrote: »
    Wow 3k? I think I paid $80 for mine and I don't even have insurance. It wasn't really that big a deal, I went to work with a mouthful of gauze the next day.
    $80? It costs that much to walk in the door. Where did you get this done, in the back of a van? :P
  • Torch
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    Torch interpolator
    WarrenM wrote: »
    This thread is making me very happy mine came in straight and that my mouth is apparently huge.

    Kinda like this?

    horse-mouth-260x300.gif
  • skylebones
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    skylebones polycounter lvl 10
    My came in straight, not impacted at all. I've been told since I was 21 by multiple dentist to get them removed "to prevent problems later on.' But I still have em and just turned 30. no pain, no problems, no removal and I'm not planning on it.
  • NegevPro
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    NegevPro polycounter lvl 4
    You'll know when it's time to take them out because your mouth will hurt like absolute hell and you won't be able to concentrate on anything other than the pain, or at least that was my case. I wouldn't worry about getting them removed until they cause a problem though because many people are unaffected by their wisdom teeth.
  • JohnnyRaptor
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    JohnnyRaptor polycounter lvl 15
    got two out last year since one of them was touching a tooth in front of it and would be causing damage to it if i didnt remove it, and the other was moving in the director of a tooth so they took it out precautionary.

    i only had local anesthetics, since im not a big fan of the risks involved with full knockout. Did hurt, but wasnt too bad. Was eating solids carefully after 3 days i think.

    Got picked up by the gf for the first extraction, but took the bus home for the second, but in hindsight i probably should have been picked up both times!
  • RyanB
    You never got that checked out!?

    Nah, I just ride things out. I didn't go to the doctor for 17 years, finally had to go to a clinic recently for an unshakeable ear infection.
  • Wells
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    Wells polycounter lvl 18
    I had mine removed when I was 17-18. I don't remember them causing me any pain, but they were removed as standard preventative practice.

    Later I would surprise dentists by the fact they my body made more wisdom teeth. They only hurt when they came out. I was a 32 year old complaining of teething.

    I would just wait until you had cause to remove them.
  • Mark Dygert
    I had mine out. My dentist waited until they had mostly come in and where crowding the other teeth a bit but not impacted. He's a good dentists very relaxed and not intensely urgent about anything, like some dentists tend to be, even about minor stuff...

    I took a week off work but only needed 3 days. I don't remember much from that first day other than my wife doing the magic scarf trick with bloody gauze and my face. The next day I was up and running around but pretty sore, after that things seemed to heal up pretty quick. It was about a month before everything settled into a new normal.

    Horror story about my wife's dentist...
    My wife was seeing a dentist that kept bringing up "TMJ surgery". After the 3rd time he brought it up, she went and saw the person he recommended.

    This specialist was very positive that she needed surgery and was convinced that she had symptoms but had ignored them for too long. That sent off all kinds of bells and whistles and she got a second opinion. That surgeon told her it wasn't necessary and that if it ever did become a problem they could do it at any time. BUT that he recommended she not go through with it because it's a huge procedure and the benefits would not outweigh all of the problems that would come with the procedure. She got a 3rd and a 4th opinion and they all said what the 2nd specialist did.

    She switched dentists to mine and he laughed when she brought up her ordeal with TMJ specialists. He said something like "that's more problems than TMJ will ever give you".

    So yea be careful not all dentists have your best interests at heart.
  • Gestalt
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    Gestalt polycounter lvl 11
    I was told to get mine out. I saw a specialist and he said my mouth didn't have any room for them and they were going to come in crooked and impacted and that I must get them out. They rang me up at the counter and it was going to be about the same price, like $3k (actually I think it was more than that...), and I said I'd schedule the appointment some other time and never scheduled.

    I didn't get them out, they came in perfectly and I haven't had any problems. My dentists used to mention them as they were coming in. Once they were pretty much in and everything was fine I was told I still might want to get them out because they might be harder to take care of (being all the way in the back I guess they're prone to cavities).

    Well now they're in and have been in for a while and no one even mentions them anymore. The only thing anyone brings up is that I have nice teeth and that I should make sure to floss and brush so that I don't get cavities back there.
  • AtticusMars
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    AtticusMars greentooth
    I had all of my wisdom teeth removed a few years ago (in my mid 20s.) It cost me $60 per tooth without insurance. My dentist used local anesthetic and it took about 6 minutes.

    I basically have always had perfectly straight teeth though. My sister who goes to the same dentist as me had to have her wisdom teeth removed by an oral surgeon because her teeth grew in all messed up. It may be that the cost estimate they gave you is just based on how they grew in, the structure of the tooth, and whether or not they're fully formed, I would definitely get a second opinion though.

    My dentist never showed any concern about them until I developed a cavity in the rear side of one of them that I wasn't able to brush and eventually the tooth simply broke in half. It was a bottom wisdom tooth and my dentist suggested I get the top wisdom tooth removed also so at his suggestion I did. My third wisdom tooth (for whatever reason I only had 3) had a gum flap partly covering it so I figured it was destined for the same fate and had it removed too.
  • Two Listen
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    Two Listen polycount sponsor
    I have one of mine out, had a pretty significant cavity in it & was causing problems with the tooth in front of it. They say they want to take all of them out (they are a lot harder to keep clean), but at the moment I can't afford it.

    When I had my (one) removed, I didn't go under. Just local anesthetic & yanked that sucker out of there. Didn't bother me at all, fair bit of bleeding for a couple hours but meh. If I have to get the others removed, I'll have them done the same way if I can.
  • commador
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    commador polycounter lvl 14
    I've got all mine. Funny really how it worked out. My dentist INSISTED they come out. The procedure would've been done by an oral surgeon he recommended. Right. This happened just before I got my braces. (11th grade high school. yay!) My orthodontist took X-Rays before we started with braces. He saw no reason to have them removed. All four were complete and perfectly aligned. His opinion was that if they ever became a problem removal should be considered, but as of right now its a non issue. Fast forward to now, almost 10 years later, still no issue. Frankly, I think if a dentist is so trigger happy about performing removal, seek advice elsewhere. Its a big expensive procedure and someone gets paid.
  • Shiniku
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    Shiniku polycounter lvl 9
    Mine came in relatively straight but I got them out anyway. Well, they were causing crowding in my other teeth and since I was planning on getting braces they recommended to get them out. Cost me $800 with a discount plan. Got 4 out at once.

    They had cavities for me, and would probably get more, it was actually cheaper to get them taken out. A lot can go wrong there. Plus, if you wait until after 25 or so when they reach full size removal becomes much more risky.

    It may or may not be necessary but meh, if dentists consistently recommend it you probably should.
  • iconoplast
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    iconoplast polycounter lvl 13
    Having seen what others have said, I suggest you consider how prone you are to cavities when deciding. While I noted mine have never caused problems, I've also never had a cavity anywhere. That may be a significant factor in my experiences.
  • Cremuss
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    Cremuss polycounter lvl 12
    I'm almost 24 and I still have mines and no problem so far :)
  • MainManiac
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    MainManiac polycounter lvl 11
    iconoplast wrote: »
    Having seen what others have said, I suggest you consider how prone you are to cavities when deciding. While I noted mine have never caused problems, I've also never had a cavity anywhere. That may be a significant factor in my experiences.
    Dentist said I have the hardest enamel he has ever seen and have only had a cavity once in my life, and it was one they found, I had no idea it was there. And I'd say my brushing habits were sub par, guilty of only brushing in the mornings of weekdays or if I was going out. I've been trying to work on this lately though.

    My dentist isn't really the one pestering me about it. He said this "Should they come out? I'm not really sure, maybe, maybe not. You may be fine. But we're going to send your xrays to an oral surgeon and see what he thinks."

    Oral surgeon appointment went like this: He walked in "You have wisdom teeth but no room for them. Here's how we're going to take them out..." He wasn't informative about it at all, just they need to come out. Then I had to sign a stack of papers basically saying if I die they're not liable. Why am I risking anything for something that's not bothering me? In this situation I feel like I should just cross this bridge if and when I get there.

    They never mentioned anything about their shape or angle being an issue, just room. Obviously no one has room for them so how is that a valid reason, our jaws aren't as big as they were in ancient times.


    Oh and for the record, I'm almost 20 but development wise I'm 2 full years behind - I remember being taken to a doctor when I was 15 about why I still looked like I was 12/13. I feel like I still have plenty of time for my jaw to grow, probably until I'm 25 or so. None of this was ever mentioned.
  • nyx702
    I still have mine at 27 and no problems. Occasionally I get some food stuck back there that I tongue all day until I can get a coat hanger back there and fish it out.
  • mazz423
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    mazz423 polycounter lvl 9
    My two lower ones are impacted and my upper wisdom teeth came in completely fine. I asked my dentist if I should get the impacted ones removed, but she said that since they still had space and were coming in straight, that as long as I kept em clean there really shouldn't be anything to worry about for a while. Luckily though I did happen to have plenty of room for them so I didn't have any real issues when they were coming in.

    Personally I tend to go with the if it ain't broke don't fix it rule, but as it's been said in here getting them removed while your young can avoid some potential issues. Personally though I'm just gonna leave mine and have them removed if there are issues at some point down the line. Right now I'd rather have the cash than anything else :P
  • praetus
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    praetus interpolator
    I had mine out at 18 and my wife got hers removed at 24, I think? Mine were starting to get impacted so I had some outpatient surgery to get them out. I will say though, that price is pretty high. Check with other dentists to compare costs. My wife was told it was going to require an orthodontic surgeon and it would cost us about $1,800 (with insurance), so we went to other dentists for opinions. We were recommended a dentist by a coworker and with insurance it would cost us a whopping $20 for them to remove all 4 of her wisdom teeth.

    It's better to get them out early if they're going to cause problems (impacted or crowded mouth mostly) but make sure to compare prices. Just because you have a normal dentist doesn't mean you can't check prices. Do what is best for you.
  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    i've still got all my wisdom teeth (i'm 28 ) and i don't have any issues with them.

    but i am one of the more manly men, so...
  • WarrenM
  • Lamoot
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    Lamoot polycounter lvl 7
    I got the 2 on my left side out about an hour ago. 120€ per tooth but outside the insurance, as I didn't want to wait as much as if I went the regular way. The reason is one had cavity and they were crowding my jaw so were ripe for taking out. They weren't causing me much problems otherwise, except once or twice per year I got some mild inflamation.

    The procedure didn't hurt at all, I got a local anesthesia via injection, but let's wait how it is once the effect wears off. Once the wound heals, I'm getting the 2 on the other side out as well.
  • MainManiac
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    MainManiac polycounter lvl 11
    mazz423 wrote: »
    but as it's been said in here getting them removed while your young can avoid some potential issues.
    This part confuses me, the only issue is the 0.002% chance of partial lip/tongue paralysis

    Does this risk not exist with pulling teeth in general? Either way, the oral surgeon said I'm already kind of late and they're more developed than they should have been when I was referred. So would putting it off really make a huge difference at this point?

    Perhaps its because wisdom teeth can sometimes have a hook shape and wrap around the nerve?
  • Gestalt
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    Gestalt polycounter lvl 11
    Your situation sounds pretty much exactly like mine. I went to the oral surgeon and he could sense that I wasn't sure if I actually needed them out, so he asked me about it and then told me my mouth was too small for them and of course I needed them out (never heard that before).

    I put off making an appointment and never went back to him and my wisdom teeth came in without a problem. They've been in for a while now and still no problems.

    The one caveat is wisdom teeth can be prone to cavities but I've never had problems with that. I don't drink soda and I avoid sugary things that would get stuck in my teeth. I think that's the important thing. I don't floss a lot and I don't even use toothpaste when I brush. I only get compliments when I get my teeth cleaned. "Beautiful" teeth. My gums bleed a bit though because they're not used to flossing, so I get told to floss more, but that's about it.
  • D4V1DC
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    D4V1DC polycounter lvl 18
    I never had any wisdom teeth or maybe they are just delayed and i'll get them later on.
    RyanB wrote: »
    I didn't go to the doctor for 17 years, finally had to go to a clinic recently for an unshakeable ear infection.
    Nobody should use Q-Tips, soap and water if they didn't tell you that, my cousin had the same thing.

    I feel the same way as you do OP about dentists, it is a nice pay day for sure and as it was said not many have your own interest in mind, they have bills too. I'd say brush and floss and let nature take it's course.
    frell wrote: »
    Some key bits:
    “Everybody is at risk for appendicitis, but do you take out everyone’s appendix?”

    I almost died from that, let's just say 3 thick comforters and two family members on each side couldn't bring warmth back to my body. -Some what scary time, especially waking up like that at 2:00AM that cold feeling was no joke -Death wanted me ha fuck that guy! :poly142:
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